THE TOWNS OP LAKE ATITLAN BY SOL TAX MICROFILM COLLECTION OP MANUSCRIPTS ON MIDDLE AMERICAN CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY No. 13 UNIVERSITY OP CHICAGO LIBRARY CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 1946 // INTRODUCTION In October of 1936, the author and his wife settled In Panajaohel, on the north shore of Atitlan, to pursue investigations of the Indians of Guatemala undertaken by the Carnegie Institution of Washington. The field season, which lasted eight months, was to be devoted to the study of several of the towns of the lake. With the aid of a fast launch, we began periodic visits to several of the towns, especially Santa Catarina Palop6 and San Marcos la laguna. Before the season was over, we were joined by Dr. Manuel J. Andrade, who was undertaking a linguistic survey of th^&ame communities, and for part of the time, we travelled together. His notes on the lake towns are published in this microfilm collection (No. 11). Also during the season we were joined by Dr. Lila M. O'Neale, who undertook a study of the textiles of Highland Guatemala. The results of her studies are published as, "Textiles of Highland Guatemala", Ca-'negir Institution of Washington. Publication 567. 1945. In succeeding years, the authors made a thorough study of the town of Panajachel itself, the results of which are to be printed; SeRor Juan Rosales made a thorough study of the town of San Pedro la laguna, the results of which are also publishedjby the Guatemalan government; and Dr. Robert Redfield spent considerable time in the town of San Antonio Palopo and the ladino community of Agua Escondida of the same municipio. Dr. Redfield's notes appear in this series of microfilm materials as Nos. 3 and 4. The notes whi di are published herewith are those referring, especially to the towns of the-lake.-that have not been intensively studied. Almost all of them were collected in 1935-6, after which the authors' attention was directed almost exclusively to Panajachel. SOL TAX — iii THE TOWNS OP LAKE ATITLAN Table of Contents Introduction ii Index iv Summary Description 1 Field Notes on Santa Gatarina Palop6 42 Field Notes on San Antonio Palop6 214 Field Notes on San Lucas Tolimdn 217 Field Notes on Santiago Atitl&n 220 Field Notes on San Pedro la Laguna ... • • • 281 Field Notes on San Juan la Laguna 283 Field Notes on San Pablo la Laguna 289 Field Notes on San Marcos la Laguna 295 Field Notes on Tzununi 332 Field Notes on Santa Cruz la Laguna ..... 333 iv, THE TOWNS OP LAKE ATITLAN BY -.— SOL TAX INDEX Page Suimnary Description Physical Geography: Location and height of volcanoes 1 Rivers and deltas . 1 Climate . 1 Map of Lake Atitlin and surrounding area (with contours) .1 (bis) Lake levels 2 Origin of lake 2 Winds 2 Human Geography: Midway between populous highland section and fertile lowland section 2 Important trade routes 2 Crops and products of the lake towns .... 2-3 tJse of land: milpa 3 Use of the lake: fishing, canoes' 3 Effect of the lake on the culture of- the lake townspeople 4 Travelling done by land. 4 General nature of lake towns • •» 4 The Municipios: JJUmber of municipios 4 Homogeneity of peoples in the municipios ... 5 Linguistic distribution and classification . 5 Map of Lake Atitlan area showing linguistic affinities of the municipios, trade routes and means of communication . 5 (bis) Can concusions be drawn regarding cultural differences, on the basis of language similarities and differences? 6 _^ Town-types and language affiliation ^~—— do not correlate 6 V. Page Town Types: The vacant-town type 6 The town-nucleus type 6 ._. Both types classified as "simple" and "complex". 6-7 Differences in communal life among the lake towns 7 Function of the plaza as a meeting place (Atitlan) 7 Religious fiestas as community affairs .... 8 Races: Physical differences among the lake towns ... 8 Proportion of ladinos 8 Types of ladinos: Ohancles and Obreros. .... 9 Political structure: Old and new systems of political structure. 9 Offices performed by Indians ......... 10 Material culture: Similarities and differences among the lake towns 10 House types 11 House-building 11 Costume: Men 11 Costume: Women 11 Panajachel: v- Location and geography 12 Concentration of buildings 12 Milpaj fruit and vegetable crops •*.... 12 The onion crop 13 Heterogeneity of population ......... 13 "Town" and "country1' 13-14 Chancles and Obreros in Panajachel 14-15 _ Products of Panajachel 16 The Market 16 Intendente and other officials 16 Cofradlas 17 Succession of office through the cofradias . 17 Principales 17 Religious calendar 17-18 Shamans 18 vi. Page Santa Catarina Palop6: Location and geography • 18 Sanitary conditions ..... 19 Use of lake 19 Land routes ■ 19 Milpa 19 Industries: Pishing, crabflshing, mat-making... 20 Standard of living 21 Santa Catarina as a town-nucleus 21 Lack of social communal life 22 Town officials 23 Religious calendar . 23 Fiestas 23-24 Life crises characterized by lack of formalism . 24 San Antonio Palop6: Location and geography 25 Use of lake 25 Crops: milpa; anise . 25 Population; type of town 25 Ethnic groups . ; - ; . 26 Officials 26 Cofradlas 26 San Lucas TolimHn: Location and geography 26-27 Arranganent of houses 27 The Market 27 Officials r- 27 Extent to which Spanish is spoken 27 Santiago Atitl&n: Location and geography ............. 28 Use of lake for water 28 Concentration of buildings; the Plaza 28 Santiago Atitldn as a town-nucleus . 29 Sexual division of labor 29 The Market 29 Community intercourse; town life 30 The juzgado 30 Officials 30-31 Travelling merchants 31 Political organization 31 Cofrad£as 31 Literacy 3.2 Arrangement of houses. •'.>.., 32 Standard of living 32 The Family 32-33 vi. Page Santa Catarina Palop6: Location and geography 18 Sanitary conditions . * 19 Use of lake . 19 Land routes . 19 Milpa 19 Industries: Pishing, crabfishing, mat-making... 20 Standard of living 21 Santa Catarina as a town-nucleus 21 Lack of social communal life 22 Town officials 23 Religious calendar ... 23 Fiestas 23-24 Life crises characterized by lack of formalism . 24 San Antonio Palop6: Location and geography 25 Use of lake 25 Crops: milpa; anise . 25 Population; type of town 25 Ethnic groups 26 Officials 26 Cofradlas . 26 San Lucas Tolimfin: Location and geography 26-27 Arranganent of houses 27 The Market 27 Officials . 27 Extent to which Spanish is spoken ....... 27 Santiago AtitlSn: Location and geography 28 Use of lake for water 28 Concentration of buildings;- the Plaza 28 Santiago Atitl&n aa a town-nucleus ....... 29 Sexual division of labor 29 The Market 29 Community intercourse; town life 30 The juzgado .--'30 Officials 30-31 Travelling merchants 31 Political organization 31 Cofradlas 31 Literacy 32 Arranganent of houses. 32 Standard of living 38 The Family 32-33 vii Page Cerro de Oro: Location and geography 33 Type of town 33 San Pedro la Laguna: Location and geography . 34 Use of lake 34 Type of towi 34 Political organization 34 Effect of tourists 34 San Juan la Laguna: Location 35 Differences in culture between San Juan and San Pedro 35 Costume . 35 San Juan as a town-nucleus 35 Officials 35 San Pablo la Laguna: Location and geography 36 Concentration of town 36 Community life 36 Industries 36 San Marcos la Laguna: Location and geography 36 Crops 37 Type of town^ 37 Officials 37 Character of the people 38 Marketing 38-39 Santa Cruz la Laguna: Location and geography 39 Type of town * 39 Trade. , 39 Officials 40 Ownership of land 40 Chart: A Comparison of Costumes of the Towns of Lake Atitlln . 41 Field Notes on Santa Catarina Palop6: (Notes from diary, arraig ed in chronological order) General information about Santa Catarina • . ... 42 First visit to Santa Catarina; first impressions. .42 Possibility of comparison of Santa Catarina and San Antonio 43 Preliminaries: getting acquainted with officials. .44-45 viii Field Notes on Santa Catarina Palopo: (Continued) Page House types . • 46 Milpa . _ 46 The Church; the Cofradla. , 47 Preliminary conversations 48 Work on map of the town and card-index census by households 49 Preparations for titular fiesta 50 Progress of work on household census 51-52 Canoesj crab-fishing 52 Ownership of land 52-53 Sanitary conditions of homes 53 Attitude of Indians toward landowners 54 The titular fiesta: Liquor licenses • 55 The Baile de la Conquista 55-56 • Ceremonies in the cofradfa of Maria Concepcion. 56-57 The cofradfa Santa Catarina ..... 58 Procession of santos 59 Gifts to officials 60 Mass at the church ;■ 61 Activities at the cofradia Santa Catarina 62 Baptism of children 63 Drinking with officials in the juzgado 63-64 "doming after" the fiesta 64 Catarinecos recovering from the fiesta 65-66 Talk with a ladino resident of Santa Catarina . 66-67 Sketch map of the village of Santa Catarina Palop6 . 68 List of households in Santa Catarina 69 Household Census 71-104 (bis) Discussion at the juzgado regarding the work of this investigation 105-106 Discussion at the juzgado regarding possible reforms that coulee instituted at Santa Catarina 107-109 Resumption of work on household census 110-113 Interviews with householders 114-116 Municipal finances ...... 117 Amusing episode in the juzgado 118 Investigation of possible source of waterway ..... 119 Ownership of orange trees ..... 119 Plagues at Santa Catarina . 120 Higiest contour-line at Santa Catarina 120 Communal road work 120 Completion of household census 121 Changes in membership lr)!6he cofradf as 121 Explanation of summaries of data on households . 122 ix Field Notes on Santa Catarlna Palop6:(Continued) Page Statistical Population Summary 123 Source of Income 124 Milpa 124 Fruit trees 125 Fowls 126 Wages of secretary-school-teacher.